The goal of this publication is to enrich young children''s lives
through play. The activities will identify children''s strengths
and weaknesses and allow the Educator to assess each child''s
progress. The sections are grouped by theme. You will find
additional activities at the end of each lesson, which you may want
to use to help develop some of the children''s less developed
skills.
The activities in this collection are designed for children aged
18 months to 4 years. The themes have been devided into 5 chapters.
Each activity explains the curriculum area of learning, an
objective of the activity followed by material and the procedure to
implement the activity. The evaluation can be found at the bottom
of the lesson to help you with outcomes for a positive learning
experience. The themes are listed in the table of contents.
The objectives of the activites are to promote socialization and
to encourage children to explore the world around them. Word
repetition enhances language skills. The activites will help to
make the children aware of spatial relation and their recognition
of living things and objects. In each lesson they will use their
senses and develop gross and fine motor skills. We will promote the
use of classification, grouping and matching skills. My intent with
these experiences is to enhance each child''s creativity.
The compiling of these activities can be a great resource for
Pre-school Teachers. In my experience, I have found that there are
too few activities designed for our very young children. I was
inspired to write this book after spending several months observing
a daycare setting. My intent is to provide a rich learning
environment for children and the hope that Educators and Parents
will benefit in using my activities to help teach young children to
develop both intellectually and physically.
Acknowledgements
This collection of activities is dedicated to my late mother,
Stella, whose enthusiasm and advice have been invaluable. Her zest
for life and her kindness has inspired me. I would also like to
thank my husband Jake, for his help, ideas and unwavering support
that gave me courage to continue this endeavor. A special thanks to
my children Christi-Lee and Dane for their patience and willingness
to be "readers." I would also like to acknowledge Kim Taylor Horeck
for her steadfast support.